passengers are understandably concerned. this is the man who san francisco police say banged on the cockpit door of american airlines flight 1561 en route to san francisco international airport from chicago o'hare. he is now in the custody of the fbi. he will have to answer to the charge of interfering with a flight crew, a federal offense. when he was arrested he had a california i.d. and a passport from yemen. it is that part that makes this passenger nervous. >> red flags. you think about that, you think about the troubles over in yemen and how the terrorist activities come out of that part of the world, so it does make you think. >> reporter: the fbi isn't saying much about the case yet, but sfpd airport arches say almurisi walked to first class, then rammed the cockpit door with his shoulder. when he was asked to return to his seat he allegedly refused. >> the flight attendant called

for help, passengers and flight attendants assisted the flight attendant, some flexible plastic handcuffs were used by the flight attendants to secure the hands of that passenger. that passenger was then placed into a first class seat where he was held until the flight arrived at sfo. >> reporter: one of the passengers who assisted was reportedly a retired san mateo flifr. the other was a retired secret service agent. the 28-year-old almurisi is in federal c federal custody. in addition, there was another scare on a flight from houston to chicago where a passenger tried to open a plane door. that person was questioned but then released, and a flight bound to san diego from detroit had to be diverted to albuquerque when a person found a note in the bathroom sayi bom

on it. a search turned up nothing. back to you. today, pakistan gave permission to the united states to interview bin laden's wives, despite tense relations with pakistan the country will grant access to the three wives that lived in the compound with bin laden. in his first address to parliament since the raid, pakistan's prime minister rejected allegations that his country knew where bin laden was hiding. he said bin laden's death was, quote, indeed justice done. at the same time he warned the u.s. against any future raids like the one last week. pakistan's military and intelligence service have been heavily criticized both for failing to stop the u.s. and failing to find bin laden themselves. >> pakistan alone cannot be held to account for flawed policies and plans of others. pakistan is not the birthplace of al qaeda. we did notnvite osama bin laden to pakistan. >> more than a week after the death of the al qaeda leader,

many in the city where he was killed still don't believe that he's dead. some believe the whole thing is an american conspiracy to undermine and he cweaken pakist despite the u.s. has approved $20 billion in aid to help stop fight militants. as the public watches the videos seized by the s.e.a.l.s, experts say analysis of his hard drives is revealing many al qaeda secrets, including code names and phone numbers. on "60 minutes" last night president obama predicted the end of the bin laden branch of terror, at least the end of that group but he says in order f that to happen the united states has to continue its presence in afghanistan. our coverage continues at 5:30 on "nbc nightly news," tonight a new poll and approval rating of president obama. the lawyer for two remaining american hikers being detained in iran said today that he hopes the court will present its verdict in two days. the two cal grads are accused of spying for the u.s. they were arrested in july 2009

near iran's border with iraq. a third hiker, as you now know, was released after posting $500,000 bail, 14 months after her arrest. shourd was not at the first session of the trial, but her attorney did submit a statement on her behalf. bauer and fa ttal plead not guilty. education leaders are carrying out a weak-long protest at the state capitol. they're declaring this state of emergency week to bring attention to the negative impact deeper budget cuts will have on state schools. they say if if lawmakers do not pass the governor's proposed tax extension, schools and social services will suffer. >> we are here today and will be here the entire week to tell our legislators they must extend the

temporary taxes that californians are already paying in order to protect schools and other vital services like public safety and health care from more cuts. >> supporters of today's kickoff were criticizing republicans for their lack of support for extending those tax measures. over the weekend connie conway said she wouldn't support more cuts to schools. the housing market could be hit harder, the real estate website zillo is looking at first quarter numbers and found home values made their largest decline since late 2008. the expert tells "the wall street journal" that san francisco, l.a. and san diego saw prices go up last year when first-time buyers were getting federal tax credits. but when the tax credits expired, those buyers went away. now agents say the biggest buyers are investors because they have the cash and can beat out traditional buyers who need more time to get approved for loans. kidnapping victim jaycee dugard is about to have her

memoirs published and tell her story. dugard wrote" a stolen life" which tells the story of her life at the hands of phillip and nancy garrido. both have plead guilty to kidnapping and holding dugard for 18 years. she opens up about what she experienced, including having two children with phillip garrido. a stolen life will be released in july. if you're walking in memphis today, you'll need waders. the river is cresting close to an all-time high there, 48 feet. storms continue to pummel the south where people still haven't recovered from the devastating tornadoes in the last couple weeks. we bring in jeff ranieri who has more on the floodwaters. >> that's right, raj. the major flooding in the southeast continues as the mighty mississippi river continues to flex its muscles. as we take a look, what you're going to see in this video is just devastating here.

the rainfall and snow melts from record-setting snow in the midwest, flowing down through the mississippi which is expected to hit 48.7 feet. that could make it an all-time record level. they haven't seen records like this since back in 1937. it took more than a week for the river to rise this high, and officials say it will take at least a week for it to recede. the army corps of engineers is opening floodgates to help ease pressure downstream. >> we've reached the trigger to operate the bonnet carre spillway, passing new orleans. >> and people in louisiana are alreadyer movingf o of thth mississippevi l mississippi levees ee est torms, tornadoes ichu.anrr es icrr whsatwh ouki'rta le ang'rookt as i a the mississip riverer in memphis. flood stage is 34 feet. we're well over ten feet above flood stage there in memphis, and three other hot spots will be arkans city, along the

mississippi river, also greenville, mississippi, and then baton rouge. now, back here at home we've also had record-setting sierra snow, and we are in an above average category to possibly see river flooding from that sierra snow as these rivers are running high, cold and fast. a big warning back here at home if you're planning any recreational activity to advise extra caution if you're headed near those waters. no question it's a medical miracle but it may be hard for you to watch anyway. tonight we're getting our first look at the first full-facial transplant and the man who underwent it. nbc's erica edwards has more. >> reporter: you probably wouldn't look twice if you is a you this man walking down the street. and that is one of most amazing things about the transformation of dallas wooems. >> he was quite literally a man without a face. >> 2 1/2 years ago he was disfigured at work when his head touched a high-voltage power

line. he endured more than 15 hours of surgery while doctors replaced his nose, lips and facial muscles and nerves from an anonymous donor. >> when i woke up, i had features again, eyes and a nose and a mouth. i even said out loud, this is not even medically possible. >> reporter: his speech is difficult to understand but his doctors predict he will regain the muscles needed to speak clearly. two years after the same surgeriens performed a partial face transplant on this man, he is now easily understood talking about his favorite baseball team. >> i've been a red sox fan. >> reporter: his sense of smell has returned and he can breathe through his new nose. >> i love you, daddy. >> his daughter scarlet has been a source of strength for him. >> she actually said, daddy, you're so handsome. >> doctors say it's unlikely he will ever regain eyesight but he hopes advanced in medicine might change that.

>> i am only 26 years old. so there's a lot of life left to live. >> this full-time dad says his goal is to take care of his daughter. erica edwards, nbc news. >> look at the way she looks at him. he is also considering going back to college, when he finally gets back home to texas. when we return, groupon is growing. we'll tell you about its new partnership and how it could mean cheaper summer entertainment options for you and your family. also florida's loss, california's gain. why the golden state is getting millions to make high-speed rail a reality. >> and could it be new life for what looked like a dwindling industry? and a nice warmup today, plenty of 60s, a few 70s, and throughout the east and also for the south bay, 70 gilroy, 71 concord.ds picki thng wine are u picp ki up and we're tracking rain on the radar. more in just minutes.

that bullet train is becoming closer to a reality. florida said no, so california gets the money. the federal government is awarding california $300 million for the high-speed rail plan. when florida's governor rejected the cash for its own high speed rail project, the transportation department gave it to california and 14 other states. here's how the money will go. it will go to the central valley portion of the rail line where the train will reach its highest speeds of 220 miles per hour. ultimately, the line will run 520 miles linking san francisco and l.a. even though billions of dollars are still needed, construction

will begin by the fall of next year, otherwise the state would lose previous federal grant money. san francisco's mayor says the city will provide free charging for electric vehicles for everyone. 19 city owned garages and the san francisco international airport will provide the charging stations. mayor lee says the new infrastructure will make it easier for people to charge their electric cars when they're away from inhome stations. the first charging station will be installed in june with more than 80 others in place by the end of the year. lee is hoping to reduce greenhouse gases 20% below 1990 levels by next year. charging stations will remain free until 2013. in the meantime, san jose's mayor isn't commenting object the weekend of arrest of a city council member for drink driving. ash car ra publicly apologized for his early morning arrest on saturday. the mercury news is quoting chuck reid, it's a personal matter so he's not going to address it.

he has been mentioned as a possible candidate for mayor. when asked about the impact on the arrest on future political plans, he says he hasn't considered it yet. live nation and online deal site groupon are teaming up, forming a new website called groupon live which will offer deals on tickets, concerts, sports, theaters and arts and other live events. people aren't spends as much on entertainment, live nation says today's deal will allow them to fill those empty seats. and instead of covering are the news now, the bay area's largest newspaper is making news, named the fastest growing newspaper in the country, along with the "l.a. times" and "chicago sun-times." usually nowadays newspapers around the country are merging to stay alive. a group called the business inside named the merc one of the 25 papers that have the best chance of being around in ten years. >> let's hope so.

we need newspapers to stay around. they're vital. let's turn things over to jeff ran ne r ranieri. >> we're going to have the up and down pattern stay with us throughout the next several days. let's take you outside now, a live look in san francisco and alcatraz, 60 degrees, winds west at 24. even though we're seeing this strong flow, not too much fog developing at this point. with he are tracking some isolated showers and even a bit of lightning activity extreme south bay near morgan hill and higher elevations. nothing big, but this certainly will be isolated to these areas as we continue throughout the next hour or so. so possibly still moderate rainfall for you down there in gilroy. otherwise right now, still kind of warm out there for you in livermore, 67. 71 concord, still cool by the coastline with that westerly

wind, upper 50s and low 60s from san francisco right down the peninsu peninsula. tonight, breezy and cool, and then throughout tuesday the thing to watch is that wind. 15 to 30 miles per hour through the entire viewing area, and we will see warming coming our way. and then a late season storm possibly in our seven-day forecast. we're going to watch the weak system with cooler air, that's going to be staying up in the northwest. for us tomorrow, it's mainly the wind, we'll see warmer conditions, temperatures in the 70s inland. then throughout wednesday, we're going to go back down with a little cooling. not any major drops in the temperatures though. so throughout tonight, we're mainly clear from the north to south bay by 11:00 p.m., not really anything in the way of fog developing, and tomorrow another clear start across the bay area on your tuesday. for the east bay, tonight we're dropping down to the low 50s. by 6:00 a.m., starting in the 40s from danville to walnut creek. 46 los gatos. 57 in san francisco.

as far as tomorrow goes, we'll go with some low to mid-70s here. 72 los gatos, dublin, 73, we're also looking at 71 moraga, and 67 in the city of san francisco. and as we head inland to napa and also sonoma, with he can expect low to mid-70s tomorrow with the north bay peaking out with some of our warmest conditions. if you do suffer from allergies, that wind will make it a little bit difficult for you. low 70s wednesday, but here's the thing to zone in on. this upcoming weekend, saturday and sunday, late season storm could bring us a decent dosing of rainfall. so there's still plenty of time for that to change, but right now that's what i'm looking at. >> so bring the cushions back in. >> yes. all that pool stuff may need to come back in. >> back inside again. >> sorry, guys p.

>> thank you, jeff. tourists at buckingham palace got an unexpected show today. take a look. okay. this was a flash mob that quickly grew. you know how this works, four dancers into more than 100 dancers and it was secretly planned by the palace to honor young people in the arts. the student dancers are mostly from the university of east london and have been practicing today's dance and routine for more than 12 weeks. the 19-year-old who designed the dance said the theme was romeo and juliet. so everyone who showed up just to see the palace got -- >> those flash mobs are fun. i think it would be fun to have those happen around here more often, very upbeat. a well-known politician says he is challenge president obama in the 2012 election. so who's the new name in the running? and the big news from the number one morning show in television, we'll let you know going to miss the most after

leaving "the today show."

former house speaker newt gingrich is using social media to announce his run for the presidency. he made that announcement public via facebook and twitter asking supporters to tune in wednesday night for the television announcement. not much surprise since gingrich has been raising money assembling a campaign team. aides say he'll make his first speech friday at the georgia republican party convention. it will also be on "meet the press." whitney houston is checking herself back into rehab. her rep says she is in an outpatient program for drug and alcohol treatment. houston's battled problems with drug addiction for years. she returned in 2009 declaring herself healthy and clean, but in 2010 last year the tour was

troubled receiving negative reviews from fans and critics. no word on how long she'll be in rehab. meredith vieira is leaving next month to spend more time with her family. after the show the anchors took questions and vieira said this is ann's day, a reference to ann curry who will be replacing her in the anchor chair. she made her announcement vieira was fighting back tears. >> i'm going to try to hold myself together here. but after months of personal reflection and private conversations between my family and my friends, i've decided to leave "today" in june. and even as i say this, and i know that it is the right thing, i'm really sad because for the past i like to say ten years but it's only been -- this has been my second home. >> when asked which of her partners she missed the most, vieira joked, the scare crow, taking a line from the wizard of oz. she says the show is very much

like a family. and it's nice for ann curry who's been in the waiting for that role for a long time. she's going to do a great job. >> meredith, a class act ands . a look at one of the biggest remodeling jobs in history. stay with us. ♪ let's go out to the dmv ♪ it's ok that we're number four hundred and three ♪ ♪ we'll find ourselves a comfy seat ♪ ♪ and watch some shows and stuff ♪ ♪ ♪ let's follow that lady with the laptop ♪ [ male announcer ] now you can watch hit tv shows on your laptop with u-verse online and on your smartphone with u-verse mobile, included with most plans. or get u-verse tv for as low as $29 a month for 6 months. in the network you can take entertainment with you.

they want a new look here. as we leave you tonight, it's out with the old and in with the new. mcdonald's isn't clowning around. >> the fast food giant is revamping itself to look a little less like a fast food joint and more like an upscale hangout. they're taking out the fiberglass tables and replacing them with fauxwood. chairs will be faux leather. interiors will be muted oranges,

yellows and greens. forget the neon. the company hopes to have the $1 billion makeover finished at all 14,000 stores by 2015. the chain will also continue to expand its food and drink menu with new offerings. they say it's all in an effort to get customers hang around, kind of like starbucks, no longer just hurrying out the door. >> but will kids still like it, too? >> they have the play thing. if there's a toy with the happy meal. >> we saw you earlier, so you're here to correct the possible rain saturday and sunday, right? >> i'm sorry, i'm not. we're sticking with the forecast. let's take a look. nice one, raj. we do have low to mid-70s, and then the weekend, temperatures drop ten degrees, 60s coming back and chance of rain not only saturday but sunday. this could also bring some low sierra snow as well. so it's one to watch. we still could see this change for us, but right now the models

have been hitting at it for the past two days or so. >> okay. >> right on the weekend. >> i know. not good. >> thanks for joining us tonight at 5:00. we'll see you for more local news at 6:00. >> "nightly news" is next. bye-bye. ♪ [ rock ] [ chattering ]

[ man on tv ] 96309. [ man ] ♪ she got it, you got it ♪ i got it, we got it [ groans ] ♪ who's got it see you later. ♪ yeah! ♪ come on, she got it you got it, we got it who's got it ♪ we're all different. that's why there are five new civics. the next-generation civic. only from honda.